Candidates for state senate focus on economy, transportation

Published 10:27 pm, Sunday, October 26, 2014

STAMFORD -- The race for the 27th state Senate District pits Democratic incumbent Carlo Leone against Republican challenger Eva Maldonado in a contest focusing on jobs and transportation issues.

The 27th District covers much of Stamford and a portion of Darien, and includes the shoreline and downtown Stamford. The Connecticut Green Party is also making a bid for the seat, fielding political newcomer David Michel.

Leone, 51, has served the 27th District since 2011, when he won a special election to fill the vacancy left by Democrat Andrew McDonald, who resigned to become Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's chief legal counsel.

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27th Senate District candidatesName: Carlo LeoneParty: DemocratOccupation: Veterans Program Outreach SpecialistAge: 51Address: 88 Houston TerraceEducation: BS and MBA, Sacred Heart UniversityPublic Service: U. S. Air Force; Stamford Zoning Board of AppealsIssues/Goals: Jobs & economy - create stable environment and incentives for business to grow and hire; Transportation - continuous investment and infrastructure upgrades, critical to our state economy on many levels; Education - continuous investment from preschool to higher education - it is the foundation of our workforce for today and tomorrow.Personal: Married, with a child in public school

Name: Eva MaldonadoParty: RepublicanOccupation: Law enforcementAge: 53Address: 639 Summer St.Education: NTCS - Criminal Justice; Fellowship From Yale Child Study CenterPublic Service: Founder and past president of the Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Commissioner of Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission appointed by Speaker Moira Lyons; Former board member of Community Economic Development Fund; Former vice chairwoman of the Mayor's Multicultural Council; Former Interfaith Council Board Member; Served as board member of Stamford Public Education Foundation, Stamford Achieves, Focus on YOUTH, Volunteer Center, Neighbor's Link of Stamford and Yerwood Center.Issues/Goals: Primary focus will be to fix state's transportation woes, which is the key to improving the economy. It starts with the transportation fund, which must be ONLY used for maintenance on our roads, bridges, and Metro North. Investing in our infrastructure will help get Connecticut moving again. Allowing the free flow of commuters along the I-95 corridor will help create a business friendly environment where employers can thrive and citizens can find work. It is obvious that the current initiatives are not working. Solving our transportation woes is the first step towards improving our economy and fostering job growth. Personal: Daughter and son-in-Law, Dorian and Eric Benitez, and two grandsons.

In Leone's view, the district is starting to reap the benefits of the economic recovery. "Unemployment is going down," he said. Nonetheless, Leone cautioned that a problem many years in the making can't be solved quickly.

"I believe the governor is doing the right thing investing in infrastructure," he said, emphasizing development of the state's transportation systems. "Wherever you see the highest job growth," he said, "is where you see the transportation corridor."

Maldonado sees things differently. "People are leaving Connecticut, looking for greener pastures elsewhere" she said. "We are still in the red. The jobs are not there."

"I believe a huge part of it is our transportation issue," she continued, "The money collected for transportation funding is being siphoned. I will see to it that whatever's earmarked for transportation will go toward transportation."

Maldonado said she would focus her efforts on legislation directly benefitting Fairfield County. "We have career politicians that become involved in the community when it's election time," she said. "To me that's unacceptable."

"They have a lot of needs that I think the country isn't ready for," he said of recently separated service members. "We're looking for ways to help them make a better transition into the civilian world."

Leone said that the committee has helped push through legislation that puts veteran contacts in local municipalities throughout the state to aid in that transition. Asked about veteran employment, he said, "It's picking up."